Author: malambograssroots_kuyzez (Page 1 of 5)

Gratitude to Malambo grassroots for the support during the year 2018

St. Vincent de Paul has been one of the beneficiaries of the school fees scholarship for primary and basic school going children.

We have managed this scholarship since 2011 and it has since supported 10 secondary school children with fees as well over 40 pupils from the primary section. Of all these are orphans and vulnerable.

• Some of pupils at the secondary section have dropped out of school due to family factors. Out of the 12 pupils supported by the scholarship fund, two brothers and one girl by the name of Linda Moonga  dropped out after failing to go to the senior level. The two brothers are Emmanuel Bulungi and Maliwa Bulungi.
• Two of the eight pupils completed grade 12. These are Mutinta Munsaka and Timothy Ngumbi. Timothy is current at the college of Education pursuing primary Diploma.
• The remaining  secondary school going pupils, three of them are in grade 12 this year 2019 and will be completing in December. Chabota has just been accepted to grade 10.
• Juunza is in grade 12 at Monze secondary school
• Chabota is in grade 10 this year 2019 at Manungu secondary school
• John is  grade 12 at Monze secondary school. Danny and Liswaniso are missing in the pictures but they are also in grade 12 at Manungu secondary school.

Timothy

Juunza

Chabota

John

The fund also support two young men at the tertiary level. These are Kalaluka  Chrispin who is study art at the University of Zambia and Chimuka Ngilazi who is studying Religious Eduaction, Civic Education and guidance and counseling Techenical vocational training college. He will be completing in April 2019.

At primary we are also paying for fees for the following children:

Clare Mwale is grade 7: ORPHAN

Margaret is is grade 6: ORPHAN

Brenda in grade 3. She is an orphan

Maureen is grade 6 and is an orphan

Twaambo is grade 7. Very vulnerable

Dorcas mwango is grade 6. Very vulnerable.

Benny is grade 6. Double orphan

Choolwe is a poor boy in grade 6

Other supports

Toni and family, MaryLee and friends have been very supportive in a number of ways. Last year we received massive support through family and friends. With this help we managed to to do the following:

We purchased books for the children and we are very happy and content. Thank you so much.

We have extended the poultry for local chickens and we have 132.

We are yet to finalise our water system in the course of the year.

Intiatives

The school has started some mothers club called Tugwasyane club(let us help each other) mother just completed their four months training in tailoring so that they could be doing a variety of things for sale so that a percentage will be given to the school for payment of fees for their children and the rest it will be for their sustenance at home.

The school is also helping children to develop skills and during the holiday the teachers with our scholarship pupils did the painting of our school kitchen

We have continued with income generating projects. Local Chickens , broiler chicken, small tuck shop.

This year our pupils did very well in their grade 7 exams. We scored 98%pass rate. Thank you for your support.

Finally I am appreciating all our friends and families who are support our poor children.hey have been made better because of your love. Thank you Heidi, Jocelyn, Toni ,all our friends, Mary lee, Louie and families. Thank you

Prepared by:

Sr. Lontia Siakalambwa

Head teacher

A Dazzle A Day

 Definition of Dazzle

intransitive verb
1: to arouse admiration by an impressive display.

transitive verb
1: to confound with brilliance.

noun
1: a group of zebras.

Z is for Zambia
This double-zz’d word seems fitting for my entire experience in this dazzling country, since Zambia fully confounded my expectations with its brilliance, as did its people.

Nothing dazzled me more in Zambia than the generous and talented faculty of Ngoma Dolce Music Academy.  They were my primary reason for travelling exactly half way around the world, thanks to an invitation from a close Vancouver friend and harpist, Heidi Krutzen, who has been supporting their school since the last eight years.  In 2012, through her work with Malambo Grassroots, (http://www.malambograssroots.ca), Heidi succeeded in crowdsourcing and shipping 126 donated instruments to Ngoma Dolce, from Vancouver to Lusaka, including three pianos, dozens of violins and even a euphonium. (SEE Vancouver Sun cover story: https://www.pressreader.com). The instruments’ harrowing journey, through Italy, Oman, and Tanzania, took 7 months, 4 longer than expected.  But they all continue to live in Ngoma Dolce’s beautiful thatched building, safe, sound and lovingly played by the school’s nearly 200 students.  You can imagine my delight when, on my first afternoon, while observing a percussion lesson, a North Vancouver Youth band bass drum was staring me in the face!

My role, there, was to provide professional development for the school’s teachers, through facilitated dialogues, pedagogy workshops, and strategic planning sessions.  I spent the first day of my 3-week residency simply listening: to the faculty’s needs, to the student’s lessons, to the director’s hopes, and to the comfortingly familiar music that sang from each of their nine teaching studios.  That Bach and Mozart touches the hearts of Zambians, too, I find incredibly moving.  Certainly, there could be concerns that this colonialist music has been force-fed to them, compromising their connection to their own rich culture.  But that is not at all Ngoma Dolce’s history.  Each of their faculty has come to their passion for classical music independently.  I was reminded, again, that this centuries-old art form encompasses so many universal truths about the human spirit that it can speak to everyone.  It makes me think of the name of the actual café where I happen to be writing, today.  It’s called Ubuntu, which is a Bantu term (Bantu referencing the family of languages that come from sub-Saharan Africa).  It is often translated as “I am because we are,” or “humanity towards others”, but it is also used in a more philosophical sense to mean “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity” (Wikipedia). The further from home I travel, the more true this sentiment comes to be for me.  So, while I recognize that there do exist genuinely problematic cases of cultural misappropriation, I am more heartened than offended that Canadians want to eat in African-inspired cafés, Zambian cab drivers want to listen to Indian Bollywood music full-blast, and the Ngoma Dolce faculty want to dedicate their lives to music that is mostly composed by dead white men who wrote it to please Africa’s oppressors. Because I believe these phenomena speak to something that is sovereign from time, politics, or borders and is, therefore, universally resonant.

Barely a day went by in Zambia when I did not shed tears of wonder, and the first came in a guitar lesson taught by William, a gifted musician who can play a piece in any style, instantly, by ear.  He is also a facile improvisor, a skill that always leaves me in awe.  With one beginner student, he taught just four simple chords, on top of which he played the most expressive melodic version of Bernstein’s One Hand, One Heart, which made this young boy sound like a pro.

My immediate impression of Zambia was formed when I noticed the “One Zambia, One Nation” gate through which we left.  It turns out this inclusive, peaceful sentiment is deeply ingrained in the Zambian psyche.   With 72 tribes and distinct dialects, they pride themselves on a notably non-violent tribal history, they frequently intermarry, and they have managed, perhaps, the most peaceful move to independence from Colonial Britain in all of Africa.  I was told that Zambian parents even tell their children, when they are quarreling with their siblings, that “We don’t do that.  We are a peaceful people.”

Their peaceful nature is only rivaled by their generosity.  And that was beautifully evident in a story shared to me by the strings teacher at Ngoma Dolce.  The dapper and gentlemanly O’Brien has had the unique fortune to tour Europe as a violinist with the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra, and Africa with the Cape Town String Quartet. International travels like these have afforded him the opportunity to apprentice with a Hungarian master string repair person.  And, consequently, he has brought this specialized superpower back to Zambia, where he provides repairs to community members in need, for free. He told me he considers it his service as a good Christian.  On a quiet afternoon when one of his students didn’t show, we shared a particularly touching moments as we spontaneously played the opening aria of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, with him on the left hand and me on the right.  We were so pleased with ourselves we even recorded it.  And since piano is a second instrument for both of us, we think the wrong notes, squeaky bench, out of tune grand, and fuzzy sound quality made it all the more charming.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwwp-d-jn0o

Many first impressions at Ngoma Dolce dazzled me, as they did Jen, my good friend and President of the Board for Instruments of Change (instrumentsofchange.org).  I was lucky enough to have her companionship for the first ten days of my journey, because she offered to sponsor her own participation in this project (which was made possible as a collaboration between I of C and Malambo Grassroots), as videographer and all-around-amazingly helpful partner.  The faculty embraced her as warmly as they did me, demonstrated by the plentiful Zambian welcome lunch they treated us to, on our first afternoon.  They happily accommodated my pescatarian diet, ordering ifisashi (steamed pumpkin leaves, chiles, and peanuts), nshima (polenta-like corn meal), Zambezi river bream fish, and chikonda (a more adventurous fare, made in loaf-form, from orchid tubers, peanuts, and spices).   I have to admit, we wanted to love the latter, but the surprise on the faculty’s faces when we requested this delicacy was made understandable once we bit in to its odd flavors and disconcerting texture.  However, the rest of the feast was scrumptious, and we were so grateful for this personal introduction to their local cuisine.

Also dazzling is Lulu, who teaches voice, piano, and Music for Fun, and she is certainly thriving in this role.  She creates magic with the little ones, lighting them up with musical games and songs, as well as her infectious enthusiasm and sweet vocals.  When I surveyed the teachers about each of their unique superpowers, she spoke about the way in which she is aware that her voice can enchant audiences.  The hair standing straight up on my arms when she let me listen to her rehearse I Could Have Danced All Night undoubtedly proved her right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u-XTENBsC4

Above, Lulu, (left) is joyfully pictured with another voice and piano teacher Cathrine (right).  I was fortunate that my residency gave me time to have several 1-on-1 sessions with each of the faculty. And this privileged intimacy enabled me to learn about many of their successes and challenges.

Cathrine spoke to me about her concerns in reaching a particular special needs student, and asked me to attend one of his lessons.  I thought I might be able to offer her some alternative strategies for engaging him.  But instead, I was schooled, myself, by a master.  Her excellent instincts chose hand drums and rattles as her tools.  And from his wheelchair, Jimmy swayed, sang, shook, and squealed with apparent ecstasy as she guided him through their music-making.  Mostly non-verbal, Jimmy was chattily engaged by her approach, in ways that I imagine he is by little else.  His father clearly agreed, as he sat by Jimmy’s side with a smile full of awe.  The whole thing was truly inspirational!

I am far from the only one to recognize the exceptional talents of these women.  During Easter Break, while I enjoyed an excursion to Livingstone’s Victoria Falls and Botswana’s Chobe National Park, they were invited to perform at none-other-than Kenneth Kaunda’s 95th birthday party.  Kaunda was Zambia’s first president after Independence, in 1964, and served for 27 years.

A lot of my time with the faculty was spent skill sharing.  They were eager to expand their offerings at Ngoma Dolce to include more improvisation, songwriting, and other creative activities that support their students’ musical education.  And, through my community work with Instruments of Change, I have developed no shortage of these.  Their favorite activities seemed to be Human Machines and Singing Monsters.  The first asks participants to progressively “build” a machine using rhythmic vocal sounds to accompany mechanical body gestures.  I’ve led this with dozens of youth groups, but never before had I seen what was possible with musicians of the Ngoma Dolce teachers’ caliber.  And what a machine they made!: https://youtu.be/9r5Mo03nGkA

When we later co-facilitated these games with their students, my imaginative girl group took it to the next level, even naming their “band” the Squeaky Wa Wa’s.

The second one is inspired by a clever video game (youtube.com/watch?v=ew7cJsBNrOQ ) I discovered when my nephew, (8 at the time) fell in love with it. Players create an original musical arrangement by selecting singing monsters, each with their own hilarious tune and beat, that together make a beastly groove:  https://youtu.be/8yjEBYQ1hfU

The teachers were sure to share their special skills with me too.  Kanyabu, Ngoma Dolce’s piano and dance teacher, can boogie to absolutely any style: Salsa, Jive, Cha Cha Cha.  Since we talked a lot about multi-modal learning in our pedagogy workshops, it became obvious that her advantage was definitely keen kinesthetic awareness.

In addition to teaching the older kids to dance to DJ Casper’s Cha Cha Slide: https://youtu.be/tiVqyJMDaGg, Kanyabu got me and all of the faculty up to speed, learning Zambia’s latest dance craze, the Chimwemwe.  It has swept the nation the way Gangnam Style swept the globe.  There are dozens of versions on YouTube, but this one is the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ddrcnxrBuc. And, believe me, it’s harder than it looks!  While we got lost down the internet rabbit hole, the teachers were also psyched to introduce me to a hysterically funny dance spoof that began in South Africa.  It has its roots in the fainting goats meme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4hzzepEcI) but definitely takes it to the next level: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wk8cd_L_K0

The best chance to see the faculty shine came during the mini-masterclass that we held towards the end of our workshops.  This gave them a chance to demonstrate their new and existing teaching strategies as they publicly instructed one another in beginner lessons on their primary instruments.   Brass and drum teacher, Shimiti truly impressed with a host of multi-modal approaches, while O’Brien tried the trumpet for his first time. Shimiti deliberately played with good and bad technique to impart concepts auditorily.  He expertly placed the instrument in O’Brien’s hands with proper posture to help him integrate his new knowledge kinesthetically.  And to teach breath support visually, he used a trick that I was especially excited to see him use, as I’ve had it in my arsenal for years.  Here, the student is challenged to blow strongly enough to keep a loose paper firm against a wall. It never ceases to amaze me how far the pedagogical traditions of classical music have managed to make their way around the globe.

Pictured below is another brass teacher, Sober, who is far more animated than his name implies (a joke he made himself).  With his constant smile and inquisitive nature, he added great value to our engagements with his thought-provoking questions.

Curiosity, humility and empathy are all keys to being a successful human, many leadership experts now claim.  And I believe these qualities are best exercised when exploring new cultures.  Perhaps the most eclectic cross-cultural exchange of this experience came when the faculty discovered that I was also a yoga instructor, and they expressed a keen interest to learn.  This is how it came to be that a Russian Jewish/Italian Catholic dual citizen of the US and Canada came to teach India’s ancient art in the middle of Africa.

During the middle of my stay, I was able to explore a bit more of the region, travelling to Livingstone to marvel at Victoria Falls, and Botswana for a mind-blowing safari.  Though I thoroughly enjoyed my time away, I was eager to return to Lusaka for more time with my Ngoma Dolce friends.  Our final week was the perfect opportunity to integrate all we had covered together.  As the students were still on Spring Break, the music school ran an Ensemble Week, where kids were invited for full days of creative games and chamber music.  Performing Amazing Grace on water bottle xylophones was a particular hit.  And a color-coded game, that fuses Simon Says and Twister, allowed students to learn the song patterns on “foot piano” before transferring their knowledge to their new instruments.

https://youtu.be/eIkXQwM8kVo

But the piece de resistance was the original song that students and faculty collaboratively wrote to the tune I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.  This “word squatting” technique is a fabulous way to get people with mixed abilities to write music that they truly feel they authored, while requiring minimal compositional experience.  This 70’s Coke commercial jingle is the perfect container for creators to express what they’d “like to” do or see in the world.  Recently, I led the same activity with primary school students in BC, who sang about ways to Keep the Oceans Clean.  And in All Our Dreams, the Ngoma Dolce community wrote about their aspirations to be queens, to fly, to ride unicorns, to make friends, and to have harmonizing superpowers!

https://youtu.be/U8LL9jc5md8

The creativity demonstrated in these activities beautifully echoes the sentiments that the faculty captured in the new mission statement which resulted from our strategic planning conversations. 

MISSION:

At Ngoma Dolce Music Academy, our professional faculty inspires a passion and curiosity for music, one student at a time.  As the first, full-time music school in Zambia, we have created a safe, supportive environment designed to bring out the best in learners of all ages.

OBJECTIVES:

By nurturing the whole student, our instruction encourages excellence, creates a space for self-expression and develops important life skills like time management and discipline, while cultivating joy and a life-long commitment to music-making.

I, too, left Ngoma Dolce feeling more whole and nurtured, thanks to the incredibly warm reception I received from their community.  Near the end of our time together, they blessed me with a Zambian name, Liseli, which means “light”.  I thought nothing could possibly move me more than that.  But, just after the final ensemble week concert, with my cab waiting in the parking lot, the faculty whisked me away from the students, into a private room, where they proceeded to serenade me with a 4-part harmony thank-you song.  I was too emotional to capture the moment on video, and simply allowed it to wash over me, as did the tears I continued to shed all the way to the airport.  Sometimes, my wildest dreams are not as dazzling as real life.

Good morning Sir/Madam,
I hope this later finds you in good health. With me here all is well.
I apologize for the late response to your later. I have been writing
end of term exams throughout the past week and had no time to visit
the internet café to update you on the information you needed.
Nevertheless, today have managed to sit and type this later to you.
I count it a blessing to be a member and student of a mission
institution like Rusangu University as the education offered is
comprehensive. The grading system that the school uses is of American standard and this renders us the competence that other students from surrounding institutions may not have.  It is not just on the academic aspect where we are being shaped but also benefiting socially, and most important spiritually.
My experience with Livingstone Central Hospital was awesome and beneficial. This being a Second Level Hospital in the country, it gave me an opportunity to operate a number of different advanced equipments for advanced and high risk procedures hence made me learn and acquire quite some useful skills needed for my career.

It is good to hear that you have started fundraising for 2019, I pray that God grants you good health and stabilize you economically that you should continue seeing us through our academics and we really appreciate for the past years of consistent sponsorship up to this level of education that we have reached, thank you.

Throughout the little experience I have had from the hospitals I have gone to, I have found more interest working in two areas; the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Operating Theatre departments and I realize this is where exactly my passion lies, I do best in these two areas and this has made me make up my minds to specialize in any of these areas later when I’m done with my General nursing.
It has been of great joy Entering my last year of study despite thevchallenges that come along with it. The higher I go the tougher, more involving and challenging the courses become. We started with quite a high total number of students in my intake of more than 50 but today as I speak, we are less than half of the initial number. Majority have not made it to thrive up to today and left for other institutions which have lower grading systems so that they can complete their studies within the shortest period of time and prevent their sponsorships coming to an end before they are done with studies. On my part it hasn’t been so easy as well to clear courses but by the grace
of God I have been able to be passing and reach this level I have
reached today. Coming from a family that cannot support me financially has made me to be dependent on the k1500 which you give me for food. The university sells meals at K15 each and I’m expected to be in school for 88 days in a term, this puts it clear that I have to go some days without food for me to be able to reach the end of one quarter. It is from this same money that I have to keep a certain amount for printing out my assignments and be able to buy modules for my studies.  This has been one of the most debilitating hardships that I face in school.
With deployment difficulties that every zambian graduate faces upon marching out of the University, I feel the best way to go about this is, to offering myself at a nearest health centre at home and work as volunteer for two or three years as this is the only way I can be noticed, recognized and hasten up permanent employment by the government. At the same time, I will constantly be applying for a job with the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Maryland,
Ciderz and other existing Health organizations. Otherwise I really have fear for the future where deployment is concerned.
Thank you for sponsorship and God bless.
Iven Moonga

One Tree Hill Sinfonia is holding a wonderful
fundraisier for Malambo Grassroots this Saturday, September 15! The concert will be held in SE London in the Borough of Lewisham. One Tree Hill Sinfonia is an orchestra, established in 2014, comprised of professional and amateur musicians. Proceeds from all concerts they perform are donated to local, national, and international charities. We are so excited about this event and are honoured One Tree Hill Sinfonia has chosen to support us!

A report from Jocelyn Banyard on the excellent women’s workshop she ran this past summer in Zambia!

“Even though women in Africa often shoulder the bulk of the financial responsibility in raising children or maintaining a household, they often lack basic knowledge of the financial services available to them, or the skills to manage their income wisely.

As well, women in the arts often work in isolation, or their work remains invisible to the rest society. The women’s workshop held in the Wayi Wayi studios was sponsored by Financial Sector Deepening Zambia (FSDZ) with the specific goal to educate women artists in how to reduce their financial risks and increase their access to basic services like banks, health and education. In this way, the aim is to include these Zambian women artists in one of the fastest-growing art markets in the world.

 The workshop and resulting exhibition were well covered by the press, both in print and in live news casts. This alone gave the fourteen artists unprecedented exposure and much-needed publicity.

 Since then, the women have organized a second exhibition. The workshop and exhibitions have motivated most of the women to network via social media and sell their work. There is already talk for another workshop in 2018.”

Report on Malambo Grass Roots Scholarship programme at Ngoma Dolce

In 2017 there were three scholarship students supported by Malambo Grassroots. They come from Chibelo Primary School, a state-run school 1km from the Academy. They come in on Tuesday afternoons for individual lessons. At the end of each term we hold Ensemble Week which, as it’s during the school holidays, allows the students to meet each other and work in groups (see below). The students are:

Chaange Chilo

Chaange writes:

I am 11 years old and in grade 7 at Chibelo primary school.
My favourite subjects are social studies and English, apart from that I love music and Art. In 2016 I was given an opportunity to learn how to play the piano, at Ngoma Dolce Music academy through Malambo Grass Roots scholarship program. I had to compete during an audition with many other students, I thank God I made it to be given a scholarship. When I started my lessons, it was not very easy because I had to learn theory and practical. Growing up in a community of people who don’t play any musical instrument or taken any music lessons was a bit tricky for me but all my life, it’s been my dream to learn how to play the piano because it’s my favourite instrument and many thanks goes to Malambo Grass Roots for their generosity and continued sponsorship that has made my dream come true. I am really enjoying my lessons now that I am able to read music notes and play them on the piano with fewer challenges. I have done John Thompson 1 and 2 and now starting John Thompson 3.

Paul Msiska

Paul writes:
My name is Paul Msiska, 11 years old, grade 6 at Chibelo primary school.
I have always wanted to play the guitar and now I have a chance through Ngoma Dolce Music Academy. I am grateful to Malambo Grass Roots Scholarship program, for sponsoring me fully. I am able to play basic classical guitar pieces and I have also learnt to play chords.

Gift Mwape

Gift writes:

My name is Gift Mwape, 11 years old, grade 6 at Chibelo primary school. When I came in for auditions 2016, I didn’t know what to expect, but at the end of it all I was told that I was the most musical. After that I was asked which instrument I would like to learn and I chose drums. I come to Ngoma Dolce every Tuesday afternoon for my lessons, was very difficult when I started but now am getting on very well. I did my first public performance at an end of term concert, by that time I was only 2 months old at the academy, my second was during the Christmas concert and I am certain I have many more performances to do. I have met a lot of new friends at the academy from whom I have learnt a lot. I am now the main drummer at Twin Palm Seventh Day Adventists Church. This is a wonderful musical journey, I will not forget and I will forever appreciate.

Ensemble Week
Individual lessons are not enough. Students need to learn to play together in groups, and Ensemble Week is the opportunity for them to do this. This photo shows what we do in the end-of-Ensemble-Week concert, though our three scholars were too junior to perform in these groups just yet.

Malambo Grassroots has launched a new campaign, through Mabel’s Labels!

Dear Friends,

We hope you enjoyed our recent Malambo Grassroots update. In the newsletter, we spoke of our upcoming Tilt campaign for 2017. Here are the details!

This year we are fundraising again for our elementary, secondary and tertiary scholarships programs which support nearly 50 students! As well, we hope to expand our music scholarship program at Ngoma Dolce Music Academy to allow more young Zambians to pursue their passion. On top of that ambitious goal, we have our sights set on two women’s workshops this year. The theme will be financial inclusion and will focus on Zambian Women Artists, culminating in a National Exhibition and retrospective of the last 25 years of women’s art in Zambia! These workshops often have over 40 women attend. To run these workshops, funds are needed to cover Zambian Facilitators, a workspace, and art supplies.

A bit more detailed information on school costs:

How much does it (approximately) cost to keep a child in school in Zambia?

For us to help a grade 8 student for one year: $ 200
Grade 9: $290
Grade 10: $430
Grade 11: $520
Grade 12: $520
College: $1100 – $1500
University: $3000 – $4000

For Ngoma Dolce Music Academy, lessons are approximately $15CAD and students have up to 50 lessons per year plus workshops, at an annual fee of $750CAD.

We would be so grateful for your help in realizing these goals!

Despite the challenges our students face every day ~ drought, lack of food, rolling power outages, unstable currency, lack of educational equipment ~ our students continue to amaze us with their positivity and determination.

When we first connected with St. Vincent de Paul in 2010, our elementary school for orphaned and underprivileged children, we invited the children to paint a mural on the outside of the school. It was an opportunity for us to get to know each other and for many of the children to paint for the very first time. Two of those children Timothy and Mutinta are now in grade 11 and 12 respectively thanks to our scholarship program, and we couldn’t be more proud of them. And this year our first three university scholars will graduate! Such an incredible achievement for these students, and it’s all thanks to you, our wonderful donors!

As you know, we are 100% volunteer, so your entire donation goes to help those we work with! Any amount is greatly appreciate! A donation of $10 £10 €10 can have a significant impact on our students lives and the communities that we support.

If you would like to donate to Malambo Grassroots programs, a member project of Rose Charities Canada, please join our Tilt campaign here! When contributing, you’ll be asked to enter your name, email, and create a new password. It’s simple and fast!

Our Tilt campaign is active until December 24, 2016.

Once you’ve donated, please help spread the word of our Tilt campaign. The more people that learn of our students and communities in Zambia, the more chance we have of being able to continue all of our programs!

Tilt does not provide tax receipts. If you are Canadian and would like a tax receipt for donations of $25 or more, please donate by cheque or through our website.

Thank you again for your support!

With gratitude,
The Team at Malambo Grassroots

A dear friend, Elizabeth Colson, passed away in August at 99 years of age, sitting on her verandah in Zambia, watching the birds. Not only was she a world renowned American anthropologist who dedicated her life’s work to the Tonga people, with whom Malambo Grassroots works, she was a remarkable woman and incredibly generous with all. She will be greatly missed. Thank you for all you did, Elizabeth.

Please read about Elizabeth’s life and work in this blog, Remnants of Empire, by Pamela Shurmer-Smith.

A letter from Mweemba Matonga!

“Here is a the information  about my coming  into this program.
I went to school with a friend of mine Emmanuel Makoye at senior secondary school. The time I finished school I asked how he did manage to go to college to do Marketing and I was told of the program being ran in the farm about Mwabuka Zambia association and that someone needed  to work in the farm for some time and should have relatives who are workers in the farm.

When I heard that I thought of trying because I am coming from a not well-to-do family and having had problems  with completing my secondary school because of finances.when I reached at the farm,I first  met with Madam Marylee who I talked to and she tried to look for where to place me so I could work but then to no avail. After some time, when I went to check as to whether  she had found where to place me she referred me to Madam Heidi who I personally  talked to over how I loved school and that I wanted to do banking and finance and shared that I had a problem of where to get funding.

From that day she called me after two weeks and we had similar discussion including reasons  why I wanted to banking and finance.

After that, Madame Marylee  called me informing me that money was sent for my school and thats how I started school.

In the process I become the best student in one of the  subjects and graduated as the best student in my banking  and finance diploma course in Zambia.

When I finished banking and finance diploma  I asked if I could done a degree in financial services and luckily I was offered help and now am a third year second semester student of bachelor’s degree in financial services and intended to graduate next year December.

Currently  school is going on well and will be writing  exams in June. My future plans are that after am done with my bachelor’s degree in financial services next year June, I do my masters degree in 2018 possibly if graduate with a distinction as I intended and be able to do something thereafter.

My goals are that, I would want to help people  that will be in the state  I was of no financial muscle to take them to school and many more works as i have learnt a lot from you and that people you have no relationship  with helps a lot compared  to the relatives  sometimes..

This is briefly what I can say otherwise have no many words except lots of appreciation.

Well good to hear from you and I am very well.”